Also, Amici Trattoria, Willy’s Steakhouse, both in Shrewsbury; Il Forno Restaurant, The Manor Restaurant and The Mill Restaurant, all in West Boylston; Ristorante Via Alto 27 in Clinton; The Castle Restaurant in Leicester; AJ Tomaiolo’s Restaurant and Ristorante Limoncello, both in Northboro; and Thai Island and Ethan’s Family Restaurant & Bar, both in Holden.

Presenting sponsors of the event include UniBank and Pepsi Cola Bottling Co., both in Worcester, and Atlas Distributing in Auburn. Mercadante Funeral Home in Worcester is a supporting sponsor.

Paul Giorgio, organizer of Worcester Restaurant Week, said, “The local business community has really come together to support this event. This is the largest number of participating restaurants in the winter edition to date and shows the wide community support for the event.”

Worcester Restaurant Week is a good way to discover new restaurants and to support dining spots.

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A Chili Cook-Off will be held from noon to 3 p.m. March 3 at Isador’s Organic Fruit & Deli, 261 Main St., Oxford

The Webster Dudley Business Alliance, Isador’s and Commerce Bank of Webster have partnered to host the event, which benefits schools in the tri-town area, with all proceeds going to the Hand Fruit Program. Event sponsor is Commerce Bank of Webster.

The public can sample chili for a $5 donation. Tickets may be purchased in advance at Isador’s, Commerce Bank’s Webster office at 25 Worcester Road and Booklovers’ Gourmet, 55 E. Main St., Webster. Tickets will be available at the door the day of the event.

Restaurants, caterers and individuals interested in entering the Chili Cook-Off can call Justin Szostakowski, owner of Isador’s, at (508) 987-1211 by Feb. 28. There is no entry fee. Chili entries can range from spicy to mild and meat to vegetarian.

Szostakowski established “Isador’s” Hand Fruit Program to help supplement Massachusetts’ public school lunch programs with organic fruit. Funds are raised through community events.

The first event, held in February 2010, provided fruit for students at Oxford Middle School, according to Szostakowski, who said more schools have benefited since then.

“The purpose of the cause is to provide a practical education to young people about the importance of whole food nutrition,” said Szostakowski.

“We all benefit from living in a healthy, positive environment,” said Debra Horan, president of the Webster Dudley Business Alliance. “When individuals and families thrive, local businesses also thrive.”

The Webster Dudley Business Alliance strives to have an active role in the improvement of the local community where its members work and live, according to Horan.

Park Avenue Elementary School in Webster is one of the schools that received fresh fruit for its lunch program as a result of the fundraiser. “We hope to increase our support this year,” said Horan.

Shereen Fahey, manager of Commerce Bank’s Webster office, said the bank is pleased to support the Hand Fruit Program through its sponsorship of the Chili Cook-Off. “Good nutrition is critical to our children’s healthy and well-being, and the Hand Fruit Program plays an important role by ensuring that they have access to healthy alternatives at school,” she said.

Be sure to check out the “yellow dot” wines and special discounts in the store.

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Culinary Underground School for Home Cooks recently reorganized its Kids’ Program.

Children ages 10-14 can attend all of the Kids Cook classes and Parent/Child classes, according to chef/founder Lori Leinbach. “Budding teen cooks ages 15 and older can attend the school’s adult classes, where appropriate, meaning our wine classes and couples’ nights are not appropriate for minors,” said Leinbach. “We’ve found that this reorganization is a natural evolution based on student participation and need.”

Culinary Underground School for Home Cooks continues to welcome kids ages 8 and up for birthday parties.

The business offers school vacation classes, parent/child classes and vacation cooking camps.

Numi Organic Tea recently announced its new taste sensation: Numi Savory Teas, veggie-spice-tea blends that are rich in flavor, yet light enough to enjoy any time of day.

The product is described as “Not quite a soup, but more than a tea.”

Flavors include Tomato Mint, Carrot Curry, Fennel Spice, Spinach Chive, Beet Cabbage and Broccoli Cilantro. The teas have five calories or fewer and are Certified Organic and Verified NON-GMO.

The teas were created to provide a unique and original taste experience for tea lovers, according to Ahmed Rhim, CEO and chief alchemist for Numi Organic Tea.

Savory Teas will be available at Whole Foods stores in mid-March. Suggest retail: $7.99 for a combination box that contains 12 tea bags. Visit www.numitea.com for more information about Numi Organic Tea and its products.

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Williams-Sonoma Outlet Store, Wrentham Village Premium Outlets, Wrentham, will have a knife-sharpening event from 5 to 7 p.m. Feb. 22.

Consumers can bring up to three non-serrated knives for sharpening, free of charge.

Representatives from Wusthof, the German cutlery maker, will be at the store. Shoppers can take an additional 10 percent off all Wusthof products during the event.